Big Brothers Big Sisters class action claims data breach compromised participant info

Big Brothers Big Sisters class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Angeleana Goebel filed a class action lawsuit against Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Corp.
• Why: Big Brothers Big Sisters allegedly failed to adequately safeguard participant data, which was compromised in a March 2023 data breach.
• Where:  The Big Brothers Big Sisters data breach lawsuit was filed in Florida federal court.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Corp. failed to adequately safeguard its participants’ personally identifiable information (PII) before it was compromised in a March 2023 data breach, according to a recent Big Brothers Big Sisters class action lawsuit.

Plaintiff Angeleana Goebel says she was one of the approximately 35,000 current and former program participants whose PII was compromised in the Big Brothers Big Sisters data breach. She claims the mentoring organization failed to encrypt or redact the PII stored on its systems, leaving it vulnerable to cybercriminals.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters data breach will cause victims to face an increased risk of identity theft and fraud for the rest of their lives, Goebel alleges.

Big Brothers Big Sisters class action: Organization had duty to safeguard PII

To participate in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs, Goebel says, she and other putative class members had to provide PII, including their names, birthdates and addresses. She says the organization promised to keep the PII safe and confidential and that it would delete PII when it was no longer required to maintain it.

“Plaintiff and class members relied on the sophistication of defendant to keep their PII confidential and securely maintained, to use this information for necessary purposes only, and to make only authorized disclosures of this information,” the Big Brothers Big Sisters class action lawsuit says.

In November 2023, the organization reportedly sent letters to individuals whose information was compromised in the March 2023 Big Brothers Big Sisters data breach. However, Goebel claims, the letters failed to provide data breach victims with enough information about the situation, thereby limiting their ability to mitigate the potential damage.

Data breaches are preventable with adequate security measures, but Big Brothers Big Sisters failed to comply with industry standards to protect participants’ PII, Goebel alleges.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment.

Recent data breaches have reportedly compromised more than 26 billion records belonging to companies around the world.

Were you affected by the Big Brothers Big Sisters data breach? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Mariya Weekes of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters data breach class action lawsuit is Angeleana Goebel v. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Corp., Case No. 8:24-cv-00463, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.

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